The blind spot problem of care for the developmentally disabled places an excessive burden on families and is leading to social problems. According to the National Assembly Future Research Institute, as of 2023, there will be approximately 273,000 people with developmental disabilities, accounting for 10.3% of all disabled people. Of these, 71% require care in their daily lives, but it is difficult to enter facilities or use services, or there are many people waiting, so the burden is concentrated on families.
|
▲[Korean Today] Parents of the Disabled Prostrating Their Body and Mind. Photo = Gyeongbuk Association of Parents of the Disabled (unrelated to the article) |
In particular, 78.6% of primary caregivers are parents, and their average age is 56.6 years old, which is aging. However, the rate of securing a replacement caregiver is only 28.5%, which means there is a high risk of a care gap.
In this situation, the low wages and job instability of care service providers are adding to the difficulty in securing manpower. The basic salary of a level 1 life guidance worker at a residential facility for the disabled is about 2.14 million won per month, and the additional salary of an activity support worker is only 3,000 won per hour.
Accordingly, there are indications that the current workforce should be minimized from leaving and retiring, and incentives should be provided to secure new workers by ensuring appropriate wage levels for care service providers, strengthening employment stability, and supporting long-term employment. In addition, efforts should be made to improve the efficiency of the delivery system for care services for the disabled and the quality of services, and institutional support should be considered to ease the burden of care on families.
Meanwhile, Gyeonggi Province plans to invest a total of KRW 93.4 billion by 2026 to promote the rights of people with developmental disabilities and improve their quality of life by promoting 44 projects, including strengthening the care system for people with severe developmental disabilities and developing specialized jobs for people with developmental disabilities.
It is expected that these efforts will contribute to resolving the problem of blind spots in the care of people with developmental disabilities and reducing the burden on families.
© The Korean Today – All Rights Reserved